Why don't you go to EJS?

[James K]

just curious

 

[Hickey]

Too many drunk people that give a bad name to the rest of us.
Too many people.
Too much money.

 

[Greg]

I like to wheel... can't do that very well with 10,000,000,000 people on the trails.

 

[muleskinner]

What they said.

 

[ace]

I can't ever get that week off. :-\

 

[Brett]

Cause it sucks

 

[WayneXJ]

I like to get in alot of wheeling when I go down there. To many people.

 

[James K]

aren't all the people and their rigs part of the draw?

I know I like to see what people have been working on.

but then again I leave before the end of the week when the craziness starts.

 

[jp008]

I always plan my trips "AROUND" the official trail runs. I usually hit the trail an hour before the official run leaves their meeting point. We have had a few break downs but we will drag the vehicle to the next largest spot so we can fix it and the others can safely get by. It's all about planning. You cannot just show up and hope to get lucky. Respect the RR4W's and their donated time. I cannot spend $40+ per day to run the trails, so I stay out of the way at all times. We always monitor the channel they are on.....1-so we know their progress and 2-in case there is an emergency or any other viable reason to contact the trail leader.

 

[Milner]

The fun is gone for me. Too many people. Too many f-up's, too much bad press. I put in 15 years at EJS, trail official for 14 of them. The last few I have attended have been strictly social, little to no wheeling. It just is not worth it. I can get more wheeling in a 4 day weekend any other time of the year than I can in 10 days of EJS.

My first EJS met at the Barn (no Eddie McStiff's) and the average trail was 8-10 rigs. Busy ones were 15 rigs!! There were no fee's, BLM or RR. No registration, just show up and run.

Yea, I know I sound old, maybe I am, but I was spoiled....I liked wheeling that way.

Marc

 

[Vonski]

Yup, I remember growing up spending Easter as well as summers in Moab in the 70's and 80's (Mom and Dad started goin' in 1970 and I was born in 1972). Week after week, it was just Me and my brothers flyin' through the Slickrock Trail on dirt bikes with nobody around until the dawn of "mountain bikes" (saw the first one in about 1984 I believe).

What does this have to do with EJS? Not much really. I just wanted to sound old and bitter like Marc. Of course, Marc is older than I am.

I do remember that every year we'd see the Jeep Safari pass by our camp on Sand Flats. Maybe a dozen rigs at most...

 

[Skylinerider]

I went last year, and it was fun (except for all the drunks, and all the waiting around.) I was planning to go again, but plans have changed and I will be taking a little road/offroad trip instead.

 

[greenjeep]

I always plan my trips "AROUND" the official trail runs. I usually hit the trail an hour before the official run leaves their meeting point. We have had a few break downs but we will drag the vehicle to the next largest spot so we can fix it and the others can safely get by. It's all about planning. You cannot just show up and hope to get lucky. Respect the RR4W's and their donated time. I cannot spend $40+ per day to run the trails, so I stay out of the way at all times. We always monitor the channel they are on.....1-so we know their progress and 2-in case there is an emergency or any other viable reason to contact the trail leader.

I wish more people were like you!

Come the first weekend it isn't nearly so crazy.

 

[Turbobob]

Yep, we go the weekend before and leave when the dips**ts begin to arrive. It works out fairly well, we just hit the trail early enough to avoid the organized trail runs. The only trail we have run into problems(If you get out after the organized run) is Pritchett. It got backed up at rocker knocker, so we turned around & went back out.

 

[James K]

I echo what Jim and Bob are saying. It is what you make of it.


Von and Marc you guys are old and bitter

 

[rockdog]

We do. We also try to stay out of the large trail groups way by leaving before them. Seems to be a basic agreement that drunks ruin it for others and give the week a bad name. You'd think they would get a clue Yes its crowded. We go down on friday morning and stay till monday or tuesday after its over. I like seeing the venders stuff at the fairgrounds thats one of the reasons we go at that time. We also try to run trails that the big groups arent running. I'm sure at some point we will tire of it and quit going, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the outing with family and friends.

 

[RockMonkey]

I went for about ten years. A few years ago it just got frustrating seeing the spring break crowd trash the area. There got to be so many people that you just can't get through a trail without running into a crowd of ill-prepared, broken-down, rigs piloted by beer can tossing retards. Sure, you can get up at the butt-crack of dawn, and get on the trail before anyone else. But then, you're done by noon, and you can't go do another trail due to the ridiculous crowds. It stopped being fun, and it really sucks seeing how trashed the place gets. I'd rather go another time and avoid the crowds, and actually get to do some trails.

I guess you can count me in the old and bitter group.

 

[mbryson]

I don't go to EJS because I respect the RR4W right to hold an event that weekend and feel like I'd be adding to the problem of others on the trails while they do their thing. I'm all for sharing the area with people from afar, esp. in an organized manner as the RR4W try to do, but possibly the event's scope is being channeled a little to tightly. Maybe more qualified trail leaders to lead more and more trails would help? Maybe I should step up to the plate and volunteer some of my time/resources to make the event better as a 'gunner' or similar?

From what I understand: TOO MANY PEOPLE with under-prepared rigs to run ANY trail at a reasonable speed. I can go almost any other weekend (or even better, weekday) and run 2-3 trails per day and still get back to Moab and eat, see a movie, hit Dead Horse Point, Arches or whatever at a reasonable hour. The two times I've went ('97 and '98), I spent 6-8 hours running Poison Spider to the 'wedgie' part. I can have just as much 'fun' on I-15 during reconstruction.

The 'rowdiness' of late is very annoying. I'm all for those that imbibe to be able to do so, but don't think they should leave their trash for others to pick up or drink it on the trail. I've been involved in more than one drunken confrontation (from both sides) and get tired of dealing with the poor manners of some (it's always the few, isn't it?).

 

[RockMonkey]

Welcome to the old and bitter group.

 

[2BIGTJ]

This year will be my 25th year in a row. I remember the times that you could run any trail you wanted and never run into traffic, are those days gone? YES, but who cares? I love running trails and stopping to watch a guy try an obstical while hanging out and talking with my friends, to me that is part of the fun. Yes the crowds have gottin WAY out of hand but like others have said if you plan a bit you can still have a great time. I will continue to go as long as I can drive.

It is really what you make of it, go down have a good time... Like I say 10 minutes of wheeling a day is much better than 10 minutes of going to work.